Based on these values, I have also determined the base value of Hyatt Gold Passport at these hotels. In other words, this is the minimum value that you will receive for redeeming your points at each particular hotel.

All results are based on the tax and fee inclusive rate for single night stays based on double occupancy and availability as of June 19th, 2014. It is intended as a ballpark reference, and is not representative of realtime conditions. To check on current availability and different variations of these searches, please utilize the Tokyo Hyatt Power Search and the Tokyo Hyatt Date Range Search tools.

The results by hotel are as follows:

Park Hyatt Tokyo

Best Regular Rate: 47080 yen/nightDates Available: August 25th, September 1st-2nd, September 7th, January 18th, May 6th, May 7thApproximate Value Per Point: 1.57 yen (30,000 points per night redemption)

Best Regular Rate with Free Cancellation: 55318 yen/nightDates Available: August 25th, September 1st-2nd, September 7th, January 18th, May 6th, May 7thApproximate Value Per Point: 1.84 yen (30,000 points per night redemption)

Best Regular Rate: 20121 yen/nightDates Available: December 22nd, December 25th-26th, January 4th-9th, May 1st-2nd, May 8th-9th, May 15th-16th, May 22nd-23rd, May 29th-30th, June 5th-6th, June 12th-13thApproximate Value Per Point: 1.68 yen (12,000 points per night redemption)

Best Regular Rate with Free Cancellation: 24160 yen/nightDates Available: December 22nd, December 25th-26th, January 4th-9th, May 1st-2nd, May 8th-9th, May 15th-16th, May 22nd-23rd, May 29th-30th, June 5th-6th, June 12th-13thApproximate Value Per Point: 2.01 yen (12,000 points per night redemption)

As expected, Hyatt Regency Tokyo provides the best value in terms of money and overall point redemption value, though a Platinum or Diamond will see better value this year using their points for a stay at Andaz Tokyo (especially when staying with three adults, as Andaz Tokyo is the only hotel to not charge an additional fee for a third adult on an award stay)

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In previous Tokyo Hyatt Fan 101 articles, we’ve introduced the Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty system, and shown how easy it is to advance to the Platinum tier. However, the real sweet spot to get the complete Tokyo Hyatt experience requires that you attain the highest published level of the program: Diamond tier status.

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Hyatt has a Best Rate Guarantee. In short, they guarantee that the rates you find on their website are the lowest rates available for booking a room. If you happen to find a place where the same room, under the same conditions (e.g. cancellation rate is same, extra perks offered are the same, etc.) on the same dates are immediately bookable, then Hyatt will not only match the competing site’s rate, but will take an additional 20% off of that.

For example, suppose we are looking to stay for a night at the Park Hyatt Tokyo on June 30th. The Hyatt website Weekday Retreat Rate shows us the the Park Deluxe Room is available for 45068 yen, complete with free cancellation, free daily breakfast, and free late checkout until 4pm:

A Park Deluxe Twin or King, with free cancellation, free breakfast, and free late checkout to 4pm (the majority of of benefits that Hyatt Gold Passport members normally get at this property) is significantly cheaper than what we see on hyatt.com.

(lest we get hung up on the differences in currency, Hyatt does allow the competing rate to be of a different currency, as per their terms and conditions:)

In the event that the Competing Rate is in a different currency from the Hyatt rate, Hyatt shall convert the Competing Rate into the same currency as the rate offered on the Hyatt website. If, after conversion to the same currency, a Competing Rate is less than one percent (1%) lower than the Hyatt rate, then such competing rate shall not qualify for the Best Rate Guarantee. Such deviations are often the result of fluctuations in currency exchange rates and other factors beyond Hyatt’s control.

This rate has no problem covering the 1% fudge factor.

So Hyatt should take this $334 rate and take an additional 20% off, giving you a 27 hours (1pm check in during the week!) at the Park Hyatt Tokyo with free breakfast for $267.20 plus taxes. But how do we claim this rate?

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As mentioned in my previous post outlining the Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program, the Platinum tier offers a variety of benefits over that for regular and non-members, most notably free upgrades and free 2pm late checkout. The normal method of qualifying requires the lesser of five paid stays or ten paid nights at a Hyatt hotel within a calendar year, but there are at least two ways to attain this status for free with no stays whatsoever.

If you have a good credit record and a residence in the United States, then your best option is to apply for the Hyatt Credit Card by Chase. There are a myriad of affiliate sites that describe the benefits in great deal, one of which is Platinum status for as long as you are a cardholder, but the best way to get the card is via the Hyatt website. To get the best offer, you must go to the website of a United States Hyatt and proceed to the booking phase of a mock reservation; it doesn’t matter what room you select; you will not actually book a reservation. Near the bottom of the Guest Information page, the page that comes up after you select a room and rate, but before you actually book the room, you will see the following link describing the special offer:

Credit card offer with $50 rebate after your first purchase with the card

There is no annual fee for the first year, so in effect, Hyatt is actually paying you to attain Hyatt status, plus a host of other benefits.

If you don’t have a United States residence, or do not want or need another credit card, there is another option that is available to everybody in the world: the Hyatt Platinum Trial. Basically, all that you have to do is send an e-mail to goldpassport@hyatt.com requesting enrollment, and within days they will make you a Platinum member for 60 days. If, within those 60 days, you are able to complete six nights worth of stays at any Hyatt worldwide, your Platinum status will become permanent until the end of February 2016. As a special bonus, you will also earn 1000 points for each of the six nights that you stay at a Hyatt hotel during the Platinum Trial.

The full terms and conditions of this offer are as follows:

To qualify for this promotion, new members must enroll in the Hyatt Gold Passport Trial Tier with Offer Code PLT14.

New and current members must contact Hyatt Gold Passport Customer Service at 1800.304.9288 or submit a Trial Tier Enrollment Form to goldpassport@hyatt.com between May 1, 2014, and October 31, 2014. Upon enrollment, member will receive a trial Platinum membership for 60 days.

To maintain Platinum membership through February 2016, member must complete six (6) eligible nights at any Hyatt worldwide within 60 days of enrollment. Member will also receive 1,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points on their first six (6) eligible nights within 60 days. Maximum 6,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points may be earned.

Platinum 15% point bonus will be awarded for all eligible stays during the 60-day trial membership period when member chooses points for their stay. If member completes the stay requirements, they will receive a new membership card, valid through February 2016, within 3-4 weeks of qualifying. Membership benefits will be available when member provides their Hyatt Gold Passport number at time of reservation and check-in.

A handy form for filling in the information required by Hyatt to process your application can be found here. It is a simple PDF form, so you will need to fill it in, save it locally, and attach to your e-mail to Hyatt.

As you may notice on this form, there is also a Hyatt Diamond Trial available to take you to the highest advertised tier of membership. This trial is slightly more difficult to achieve and complete, and requires proof of top level status and stays at certain competing hotel loyalty programs. In a future post, I will explain how to make this trial more accessible as well.

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As this blog is still in its infancy as of this writing, the vast majority of my tiny readership is coming from Milepoint and Flyertalk, two excellent resources for all things travel and hotel related, so this post is probably information that those people already know. But I have a dream…that one day, this site will create millions and millions of new Tokyo Hyatt Fans. And we will form an army, march down to Omaha, and demand the return of the Faster Free Nights campaign!

…but I’m getting ahead of myself. The point is that those new people will need to be brought up to speed. Leave no Tokyo Hyatt Fan behind is our motto! So with that, let me start this session of Tokyo Hyatt Fan 101 with an introduction of Hyatt’s loyalty program, known as Gold Passport, and an explanation as to why this should concern you.

Hyatt Gold Passport is a membership club that gives benefits to its members, and encourages them to deal directly with Hyatt as opposed to third party reservation services such as Expedia and Priceline. It is free to join, and it is open to everyone. There is zero reason not to join, and it imparts privileges on the user the second enollment is completed. Some benefits are property specific (as an example, I believe that membership allows for free admission into the Hyatt Regency Tokyo pool, whereas a 2000 yen fee would otherwise apply), but the vast majority extend of benefits throughout the worldwide Hyatt chain.

There are three published tiers to Hyatt Gold Passport membership: Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. The following is a brief explanation of the benefits of each level and how they may be attained:

Gold

Gold Membership is the introductory level of Gold Passport membership. It includes the following benefits, that are available at all tier levels:

For every dollar spent at a Hyatt hotel you earn five Hyatt Gold Passport points.

Points may be redeemed for free nights at Hyatt hotels, or may be converted into miles with some partner airlines.

Points may also be combined with cash to make discounted reservations, or used to upgrade a Hyatt Daily Rate reservation to a club room or suite.

At current rates, 12000 points will earn a free night in a standard room at Hyatt Regency Tokyo, 25000 points are good for a standard room at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo and Andaz Tokyo, and 30000 points can be redeemed for a free night at the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

Platinum

The normal method of being upgraded to Platinum membership is by making at least five paid stays or 15 paid nights (whichever happens first) within a single calendar year. There are several other methods of obtaining the Platinum tier status, which I will discuss at another time.

In addition to all of the benefits of Gold membership, Platinum members also earn the following:

15% bonus on points earned

One level non-suite room upgrade, based on availability.

Free in-room internet access

Dedicated check in for elite members

72-hour guaranteed room availability (with some blackout dates at the discretion of each property)

Late checkout until 2pm upon request (subject to availability)

Access to special “My Elite Rate”, a 20% savings on Hyatt Daily Rate.

The last one is arguably the biggest benefit of Platinum status, as this could save you many thousands of yen on your Tokyo Hyatt reservation.

Platinum status is definitely good to have, but if you really want to maximize your enjoyment of the Tokyo Hyatt hotels, you will want to strive to become a Diamond member.

Diamond

The highest published tier of the Hyatt Gold Passport program, the normal method of earning Diamond status is by completing 25 paid stays or 50 paid nights (whichever happens first) in a Hyatt hotel within a calendar year. Diamond status gets you all of the above benefits plus the following:

30% bonus on points earned

Upgrade to the best available non-suite

Free access for all of the room’s guests to the club lounge at Hyatt hotels that have them, or free full breakfast at hotels that don’t.

A welcome bonus during every stay of either 1000 points or a food/beverage amenity of the hotel’s choosing.

Up to four paid stays a year of up to seven nights each can receive a guaranteed suite upgrade.

48-hour guaranteed room availability (with some blackout dates at the discretion of each property)

Late checkout until 4pm upon request (subject to availability)

Specific hotels may also grant additional privileges to Diamond members. For example, while the Park Hyatt Tokyo does not have a club lounge, here is a sample of the benefits that a Diamond member can receive that a Gold member (or non-member) will not:

20% off the standard room rate

Upgrade from that discounted base room (let’s say 38000 yen a night) to the spacious and gorgeous Park Suite (more than 138,000 yen in value!)

Free breakfast buffet, Healthy Breakfast course, or Japanese breakfast in restaurant. The latter two may also be received as room service (3900 yen value a night)

Free drinks and Hors d’oeuvres from 5pm to 9pm at the Peak Bar and Lounge (value of…well, how much can you drink in four hours?)

Free access to Club on the Park facilities (4200 yen per night per adult) Bathe in the bath that Bill Murray bathed in! Pet the rock penguin!

Look at him! Isn’t he adorable?

One of my goals is to keep all posts below 1000 words, and I’m rapidly approaching that limit now, but I hope that this post has shown why it is to your advantage to become a Hyatt Gold Passport member, and to strive for the highest levels of membership. We will build on this knowledge in the weeks and months to come. And fear not if 50 nights in a Hyatt isn’t in the cards, as I will introduce smarter methods of obtaining Platinum and/or Diamond status as well!